Author: HFM News

A new memorial bench has been unveiled in Market Harborough to celebrate the life of a much-loved street cleaner. Billy Kimpton, who died last October aged 73, spent three decades caring for the town’s streets and was widely remembered for his cheerful and positive nature. Featuring a special commemorative plaque, “Billy’s Bench” has been placed […]

The family of a Market Harborough teenager who died in hospital say they are “devastated” that an NHS trust was fined for a lack of transparency — but not for failures in her care. Chloe Longster died from pneumonia and sepsis in November 2022 aged 13, a day after being admitted to Kettering General Hospital. In […]

Plans for an illuminated sculpture in Market Harborough’s Friendship Park have moved forward after planning permission was approved. The three-metre-tall steel artwork, set to be installed later this year, will display friendship-themed words and phrases, projected onto the park’s paths after dark. Some councillors raised concerns about the project, with Cllr Simon Whelband, leader of […]

The Air Ambulance Service has unveiled plans to build a new £14 million base near Catthorpe in the Harborough district. The charity, which serves Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, needs to relocate from Coventry Airport, where it has been based for more than 20 years, as the site is set to close for redevelopment. The project will […]

Emergency services attended three separate collisions on the A427 between Market Harborough and Corby this morning. All the incidents occurred near Stoke Albany, with one vehicle leaving the carriageway and ending up in a ditch. Police said no one was injured, though icy conditions and a possible oil spill were reported. Two fire crews also […]

Residents have raised objections to plans to make Clarence Street in Market Harborough one-way to try to reduce congestion. The proposals would see traffic flow northbound toward Albert Road, though some people argue it should go the other way, warning it could increase congestion at the Fernie Road/Great Bowden Road and Rockingham Road junction. Nine […]

Firefighters were called to a flat in Desborough after a small kitchen fire. Two crews attended the property on Station Road shortly after 8.30pm on Saturday. Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue said the blaze, which started on an electric hob, was already out when they arrived. A spokesperson added: “No active firefighting was required. Crews used […]

A supply teacher who worked at Robert Smyth Academy in Market Harborough has been banned from the profession after being found under the influence of alcohol. Julia Leith was investigated following concerns raised in 2018, a year after a similar incident at Judgemeadow Community College in Leicester. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found the 60-year-old […]

A meeting will take place next month to strengthen suicide prevention efforts in the Market Harborough area. Harborough District Council has announced a roundtable event on March 11th, bringing together support groups and agencies to discuss closer working. The meeting follows discussions with campaigners last year over concerns about suicide rates locally, with three deaths […]

Royal Mail has warned of potential service delays in parts of the Harborough District due to staff sickness and poor weather. The delivery office in Lutterworth, which serves the LE17 and LE9 postcode areas, is one of 38 bases affected nationwide. It comes as the postal firm faces ongoing complaints about delayed mail and claims […]